Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

Toilet training

This model of early potty training, called elimination communication, cuts down on diaper waste, expenses and rashes. It also helps parents become more in tune with their babies and bond during toilet time.

Honk! Jr. Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story of The Ugly Duckling gets a contemporary retelling in this slight revision of the musical Honk, which won a British Tony in 2000 for best new musical. Honk! Jr. is the version made for younger audiences, the story of Ugly, a gawky and awkward duck who faces prejudice from family and friends based on his looks alone. Chased from his farm by a cat, Ugly discovers his inner beauty and finds true love along the way.

Now here’s an original and interesting way to spend a weekend evening. The two-day Flying Canoe is a celebration of winter as well as the legend of La Chasse-Galerie (The Flying Canoë), which has entered into the annals of both French-Canadian and First Nations folklore.

Horror. Or disbelief. It fills people’s eyes when they hear I’ve been winter camping. Tucking into a tent on a wintry night is not an idea that excites most Albertans. As Mike Gere, a Jasper-based veteran of such adventures, puts it: “People generally do not put winter and camping together as a good idea.”

Both parents and children are encouraged to bring along their favourite stuffed animal or blanket, and wear their jammies to this year’s Horizon Stage Munchkin Matinee of Mary Lambert’s Pajama Party. Juno Award-nominated children’s performer Mary Lambert is a singer-songwriter who has toured over 3,000 shows at schools, libraries, music festivals and family events with her interactive Pajama Party, which boasts dance breaks, fingerplay, singalong songs, and plenty of other fun activities. Play-time and storytime themed songs from her Pajama Party CD are also featured in this performance, which is aimed at the six and under age bracket.

True, you might be temporarily perplexed, panicky, or even stymied. But it’s amazing what you might discover about your own hometown if you end up on the wrong bus. It happens to Birdie, the nine-year-old heroine of Ellen Chorley’s family-friendly play Birdie On The Wrong Bus, opening Tuesday at C103 (8529 Gateway Blvd.)